Councils urged to outsource planning
The Audit Commission has called for local councils to outsource mainstream planning work as a 'wake-up call for the public and private sector to work closer together'.

Such a change, welcomed by the British Council of Shopping Centres (BCSC), could speed up the planning process for retailers.

The commission believes changes can be achieved through private-sector processing of mainstream planning work and the adoption of joint ventures.

BCSC president and Cushman & Wakefield global head of retail John Strachan said: 'Our research has shown that the development process from inception to opening can take some 11 years on average-longer if a transport node is involved.

'BCSC's own concern about pace of planning approval stems from the potential detrimental impact delays can have on major retail-led projects that help drive new jobs and urban regeneration.'

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